Reference is made to Hewlett Packard application no. 10017582-1 entitled xe2x80x9cPRINTING SYSTEM UTILIZING EXTERNAL STORAGExe2x80x9d by Samuel Lester and Jimmy Sfaelos (a different inventive entity) which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and filed as of the same date as the present application.
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for producing images.
There are many electronic devices capable of generating data for image production on print media. This general class of document generators includes such devices as computers, facsimile machines, digital cameras and copiers, medical imaging devices, optical scanners, satellite imaging devices, scientific data collection devices, etc. It is known among these types of devices to employ a single processor to perform the various data collection, organization and print request functions. Unfortunately, when the processor is busy processing a print request it is unavailable for other tasks.
For instance, typically a personal computer user requests a copy of a document and then waits while the print job is sent over the computer network to a printer, the printer processes the print job and sends the print job to print engine for image production. Where multiple copies of a print job are requested, the printer processes each of these copies as a separate print job. The printer may include an internal storage device such as a hard drive for storage of forms, fonts, print jobs, and/or temporary files generated when printing multiple copies of a print job.
In network environments, a single computer or server may be dedicated to the task of printing. This computer is provided with printer spooler software which queues print jobs and the individual print jobs are sent to the printer as the printer becomes available. If multiple copies are requested, the spooler typically stores the requested number of copies, each copy being essentially a separate print job.
Valuable time is wasted in processing each print job each time the print job is sent to a printer and reprocessing each print job where multiple copies are being printed. Processing uses up printer time and makes the printer busy. While the printer is busy, the user may have to wait.
In one embodiment according to a system of the present invention, there is provided a printing system including a processor configured to generate a rasterized print job from a print job. The system may also include a storage device coupled to the processor and configured to store the rasterized print job, said storage device being external to any image producing device.
In another embodiment according to a method of the present invention, there is provided a plurality of steps including receiving a print job from an external storage device and generating an image for the print job using an image producing device.